On June 25th, at the Honors and Awards Dinner, National Sculpture Society recognized:

Emily Bedard with the Dexter Jones Award

The Dexter Jones Award is an unrestricted prize of $5000 that is presented annually to an emerging sculptor for an outstanding bas-relief.  Bedard has received awards including the 2015 Stanford White Award for Craftsmanship and Artisanship from the Institute of Classical Art and Architecture, the 2014 Dexter Jones Award and the 2009 Lyme Academy Award for Excellence in Sculpture.  Her public sculpture includes a Liberty Statue for the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Seaside Park of Bridgeport, CT; a bas-relief memorial to Caleb Cushing at Highland Cemetery in Newburyport, MA; and architectural ornaments for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston, MA.

Colleen R. Cotey with the Marilyn Newmark Memorial Grant

The Marilyn Newmark Memorial Grant is an unrestricted prize of $5000 that is presented annually to an animal sculptor.  Cotey’s work has been exhibited at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum, The Wildlife Experience, The Children’s Museum of Tacoma, The National Sporting Library and Museum; The Ella Carothers Dunnegan Gallery of Art and the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, among other venues.  She lives and grew up in rural western Washington, surrounded by wildlife.

Alicia Ponzio with the Alex J. Ettl Grant

The Alex J. Ettl Grant is an unrestricted price of $5000 awarded to a sculptor for a mature body of work.  Ponzio completed her studies at the Florence Academy of Art where she also taught.  Her work has been recognized by a variety of institutions. In just the past two years, these include: The Fine Art Connoisseur Award of Excellence, The Robert Merrell Gage Award for Best Figure Sculpture, The Portrait Society of America’s Annual International Portrait Competition Finalist and the California Art Club’s 103^rd Gold Medal Exhibition: Best Multi-Figure Composition.

The evening ended with a tribute to Sisko, the recipient of the Sculpture House Annual Award. Michel Langlais, NSS President, had the attendees stand, join together in a circle, and toast Sisko’s life.

image: The Senator by Emily Bedard